Crash!

Waitress on Train: Le café?
Mr. Bean: Oui.
Waitress on Train: Le sucre?
Mr. Bean: Non.
Waitress on Train: You speak very good French.
Mr. Bean: Gracias! :)))

(Now I've got more reason to go to France for a holiday! :)) )
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Watched this film sometime ago, as usually, I enjoyed this one as well - Bean classic! What more is that I really liked the Soundtrack (by Matt Willis) , it just sits well in the film. Beanbastic.

Спорт - это бизнес

http://www.korrespondent.net Все места в отелях Львова на время проведения в городе Чемпионата Европы по футболу 2012 года уже забронированы. Бронь распостраняется даже на места в несуществующих гостиницах. Читайте.
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Повезло Украине и Польше. Не ожидал что именно им дадут право на проведения Евро 2012 по футболу. Были претенденты и получше. Итальянцы взяли бы если не беспорядки и скандалы за последний год. Турнир престижный, поетому деньги большие. Организатором надо успеть все перестроить и построить до начала турнире, 5 лет достаточный срок, помоему УЕФА сделал расчет на время, так как обе страны сейчас далеки от готовности к такой масштабной организации. За этот срок может даже Украину и в ЕС возьмут. А все отели уже заполнены на нет. Умный хохол с деньгами наверное уже взялся за строительство отеля/гостиницы или домов для гостей. А то по-любому иностранные инвесторы все переберут. Ну и после турнира клиенты найдутся, риил эстейт - бизнес малорискованный и обычно цены всегда растут. В итоги, хорошо для страны; новые рабочие места, имидж страны, серьёзное развитие спорта, и тд. Надеюсь и нам как-нибудь повезёт с такими организациями. Например вместе с казахами или с узбеками, нам одному не выдержать. А ждать будем долго... Для самоудовлетворения все таки напишу; Кыргызстан-2022.

Fyodor in Praha

Few weeks back, old good friend Fyodor came to Prague for IT Underground conference. He is already known personality in IT security field, speaker in varios conferences, enigmatic type. His first question about Prague was "if there are any graffiti spots here", there you go! Imagine some IT geek with metallic hippy outfit and piercings, good in graffiti drawing and traditional Chinese water color painting, speaks good Chinese, can play on guitar and creates electronic music, originally from Bishkek and now works in Taiwan - you get Fyodor. (Все, брат, буду ПРить тебя по полной программе ;))

He stayed over in my place. Although we didn't manage to hang out more beside the evenings, it was good to see old friend, listen to his crazy and clever opinions and views. He did big favor by bringing the rest of my luggage from Taiwan. Also, I got to know another taiwanese working in Prague - Alberto.

1- Graffiti in Skalka metro station. 2- Dining table at my place

More Prague photos by Fyodor here.

Weekends in Prague

Usually one of the 2 days I spent relaxing and reading at home if not travelling somewhere. 2007 started well and promises to be rich in completed books. Now I already have 5 books waiting in a queue; from Murakami to History of Rome Emperor Claudius, and currently I am listing last pages of Singapore Story by Lew Kuan Yew. I got more respect for this geniune politician, and in this book he tells more about chaotic days of Singapore in its early days before sovereignity. I look forward to find the 2. part of this story of singapore by him ("Singaporean friends, anyone who could help with this?!").

Then I had some walks around Prague in weekends. One of it was the walk in Vysehrad with Olya. It was cold and windy then, I guess it is much more attractive now. There is a great view of the river and some parts of the city from the Vysehrad hill.



Then past month we celebrated few birthdays, it is becoming a trend for parties here. I couldn't join all, but just to list the "guilty ones"; Blanka, Alex, Pauline, Emi, Adi, etc. Celebration package is similar; dinner, drinks, get drunk, then to some bar or club. Till 3-4 am. Then Aibek travelling 45 minute by tram all the way to Hostivar... anyways good news is that we found a new flat close to Namesti Miru! Great flat, fully furnished, internet and cable TV, big bedrooms with big beds, huge kitchen, and french flatmate who turned out to be my colleague from DHL. From June I will say farewell to long weekend night journeys.


Adi's bday


Stas with "Greece" T-shirt!! :)))

Past weekend, I got a chance to watch Czech National Ice Hockey team game against Finland in Sazka Arena! That was the top quality display! Great teams in a great venue. Alex, dude, you missed a big(!) game, blame Blanka for organizing her birthday dinner that day! ;)) Game ended with 2:0 victory by Czechs. "Češí... Češí... Češí..." ("Czechs...Czechs...Czechs...") were the supporters chants, and of course "My hcheme gol!" ("We want a goal!"). Before I watched Slavia Prague's 7-1 trash of some small team and the derby between Slavia and Sparta (3:3, but 7:6 after penalties for Slavia). Really, hockey is #1 sport here.

Nooruz 07

Nooruz is a spring holiday for Turkic people, and some say it is our New Year's day!

This year we had a Kyrgyz gathering in Prague. There is a small Kyrgyz community here. Mostly students and those who work for Radio Free Europe and their families. Also, there's is unknown count of illegal workers from Kyrgyzstan. As it was a national holiday, all were invited. Good organization, yet bad punctuality. Picnic spot was close to Prague, at the countryside, in some kind of mini tennis resort. Food, music, speeches... usual procedure. Early windy March, so soon people moved into small hut. In overall, nice day out with own people.

Конечно, конец был классический - две пьяной толпы гастарбайтеров накинулись друг на друга, свои кыргызы били своих. Обидно... за обоих. Но люди уже взрослые, сами должны понимать, видно ещё не научились цивильно отдыхать. Людям настроение испортили, стыдно было перед чешскими и казахскыми гостями. Потом зря всех посадили на один автобус. Эхх.... А организаторам зачёт! Хорошо всё организовали. Только вот зря притащили столько алкоголи, надо было все в меру держать.

Cesky Krymlov

2 weeks ago I finally managed to get to see Cesky Krumlov - one of the towns included in UNESCO's List of Natural and Cultural Heritage. Initially planned as a 2-day group trip with AIESECers and probably by train, it turned out to a single day car journey. Thanks to new Czech friend, Martin, he drove us there. Credits to Martin for this awesome trip, and to his "old" Ford Fiesta! ;)) So one sunny morning Fatima, Martin, Alba and me set on road, got confused with directions few times, but had a smooth 2-3 hour drive till Cesky Krumlov. The day's program included Castle Gardens, Castle itself, Cloak Bridge, Castle Tower, 2 bears below the walls of the Castle, street tours, but we missed the unique Castle Baroque Theatre though. Funny thing though that when it got dark we missed our way to find the place we parked the car, and made round tour around town to come back to Castle Gardens at night :). Maybe 2 hours were spent just looking for car. I should admit my fault in insisting about directions. Yet it was pleasant night walk.



View of town from the Castle walls

1- On the road. 2-Romantick Hotel

1- Gipsy houses. 2-Martin squeezing through the bars of the closed Castle Garden gates.

1- At Castle Gardens. 2- Lonely inhabitant of Castle Gardens

1- Castle Garden Fountain. 2- Villa inside Castle Gardens

1- Castle Tower (view from top of it is fantastic!) 2- Such houses truly decorate the town

1- Cloak Bridge (after 2002 floods, the bridge was rebuilt with the financial support from Taiwan!!!) 2- Castle walls facing the Vltava River

1- 360 degree rotating tribune in Castle Gardens 2- Town and Vltava River

1- Cloak Tower from the riverside below 2- Fancy house


1-Passage between castle and garden. 2-In front of the gates of the castle

Night shots

Trip squad; me, Maria Alba, Fatima, Martin

Cesky Krymlov Castle

History of Český Krumlov Castle (www.ckrumlov.cz)

The tall rock cliffs jutting out over the Vltava river was populated long before the oldest parts of today's castle and church were founded. The first settlement of the castle promontory dates back to the Bronze Age.
The original Gothic castle was founded by the Lords of Krumlov some time before 1250. They represented a branch of the powerful family of the Witigonen with the five-petalled rose in their coat-of-arms. When the Lords of Krumlov died out in 1302, their relatives the Rosenbergs inherited the castle. The Rosenbergs family had their seat there up till 1602. Their name as well as the three centuries of their rule is connected with the greatest era of flourish of the town and castle. In the second half of the 16th century the castle acquired the form of a mighty and splendid Renaissance residence. At that time the rulers of the Rosenberg dominion represented eminent personalities among Bohemian aristocracy, educated humanists, patrons of the culture and arts, and prominent politicians all filling the highest posts within Bohemian Kingdom.
In 1602, the Emperor Rudolf II. von Habsbursg bought the Krumlov dominion. Afterwards, the Emperor Ferdinand II. von Habsbursg donated the royal demesne to the Prince Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg who was the representative of an Austrian princely dynasty. It was not until their third generation that, in the 1680's, thanks to Johann Christian I. von Eggenberg, more intensive development of farming, building activities and arts was evident and the Český Krumlov Castle surmounted the period of provincial backwardness and stagnation in economy and arts resulting from the Thirty Years' War. Johann Christian I. von Eggenberg converted Český Krumlov into an impressive Baroque seat.
As the Eggenbergs died out without successors in 1719, the new dynasty - the princely lineage of the Schwarzenbergs - inherited Krumlov. As early as in their second generation Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg showed his creative personality. A deft and enterprising businessman as well as a passionate art lover, he played an important role in the far-reaching reconstructions of the castle. Inclination towards the culture of the imperial residence in Vienna contributed to the enrichment of building innovations as well as of social life at the castle with the cultural impetus of European importance. Towards the end of the 18th century, and especially in the 19th century, the protracted stagnation of art and economy became evident, and after the middle19th century the Český Krumlov Castle lost its role as the main residence of the Krumlov-Hluboká Schwarzenberg branch and was not regularly inhabited even in the 20th century.
In 1947, the Schwarzenberg property, including Český Krumlov, was transferred to the Czech provincial properties and after the abolition of the provincial system it became the property of the Czechoslovak State in 1950.

туман

Что-то слишком много негатива накопилось вокруг меня в последние дни... Что-то люди подводят меня, или не правильно понимают, дела идут не гладко, и убивают настроение... как будто отрицательная энергия завладела мною...
Бывает же, все проблемы разом приходят, наверное такой период. Дай Бог силы чтоб поскорее перешагнуть все это. И в стране бардак, волнует и это. Куда катится - трудно угадать. С одной стороны так и рвусь туда чтоб уже лично чем-то помочь стране, но больно осознать что ещё не готов, не в силах пока что либо поменять. Пока ещё мне набиратся сил, потенциала и нервов. В политику не хотел бы, но не смогу смотреть на все это равнодушно. Не получится...Другие проблемы что я не замечал раньше всплыли наверх сейчас...
Трудности делают нас сильнее и опытнее. Как говорится будем учиться на ошибках, на трудностях. Вообще-то такие моменты помогают нам сделать новый старт в жизни, и обдумать всё заново. Может это и есть естественный жизненный цикл.
Главное, не ошибиться ещё раз.
А теперь - вперёд! и не оглядывайся назад...

p.s.: Вообще-то не верю таким вещам вроде "пятницы 13-го", но на этот раз это дата запомнилась мне одной из самых неприятных дней.

east wind blows me away again...

Kendo seems to be like my new passion in near future. I had a hidden admire for Samurais and their way of living. The way they treat their swords. The way they created their own wisdom and lifestyle from this fighting spirit. And that admiration always put Japan in the list of countries that I always wanted to go and see, and maybe live for some time. Thus recently when I was looking for some Japanese courses in Prague, I came through the website of Czech Kendo Federation. I was surprised to see that there are few Kendo schools here, and suddenly I thought why not to try this as well. I already had short-term experiences with Okinawa-te and Taek-Won-Do, and I was always interested in practicing martial arts.
Recently, I caucht an opportunity to watch Czech Kendo Championship live in Hradec Kralove. The battles were interesting, although quality of Kendo practiotioners seems to be way below of those Asians (Japanese, Koreans and Taiwanese are the best Kendo).
But it didn't discourage me from willing to join one of the Kendo schools here. I am planning to start in June after our football tournament in Belgium. It would be great feeling to get into those shinai (bamboo-sword) battles!

Here's a short view from the final of the championship;

And about Japanese courses; I started to learn Katakana and Hiragana, and met a friendly japanese girl who agreed to help me with it.


Some view from the battles.

Views from Hradec Kralove.

Random shots from mobile phone (slide.com)

This online tool on www.slide.com looks really cool to share photos as a slideshow. Tested on my photos from mobile phone;